Procrastination is a prevalent and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure that is not entirely understood. Hence, the relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical work is reviewed, drawing upon correlational, experimental, and qualitative findings. A meta-analysis of procrastination’s possible causes and effects, based on 691 correlations, reveals that neuroticism, rebelliousness, and sensation seeking show only a weak connection. Strong and consistent predictors of procrastination were task aversiveness, task delay, self-efficacy, and impulsiveness, as well as conscientiousness and its facets of self-control, distractibility, organization, and achievement motivation. These effects prove consistent with temporal motivation theory, an integrative hybrid of expectancy theory and hyperbolic discounting. Continued research into procrastination should not be delayed, especially because its prevalence appears to be growing.

Steel, P. (2007) Psychological Bulletin. Vol 133(1) 65-94

Much of it seems like good everyday sense that I can relate to. I find a lot of psychology does. Just takes reading up on the topics to bring knowledge into awareness.

Made me think that in part this blog is as much a product of procrastination as it is creativity. Working from home with broadband provides such an accessible temptation at all hours. Taken that report writing is akin to counting sheep, that there is little incentive to achieve targets and that I am organisationally, geographically and managerially distant it’s a wonder I get anything done at all.